In this paper we consider discourses of friendship and belonging mobilised by girls who are not part of the dominant "cool" group in one English primary school. We explore how, by investing in alternative and, at times, resistant, discourses of "being nice" and "being normal" these "non-cool" girls were able…

This study examined the effects of classroom in degree for ability (the degree to which peer nominations as academically capable show high consensus and focus on a relatively few number of children in a classroom) on first grade children's peer acceptance, teacher-rated classroom engagement, and self-perceived cognitive competence. Participants…

The Special Friends Program at Kainalu Elementary and Kailua Intermediate Schools uses a slide show to introduce children in regular education to their severely handicapped peers, then structures systematic interactions between the two groups. This interview with the program's founder, Chris Kube, discusses the programs' philosophy, development,…

This study investigates the relationship between children's ideas about how to be helpful to peers and peer acceptance. Third- and fifth-grade children responded to three sociometric measures and were later individually interviewed under four conditions on two occasions in response to different cartoon situations. Children were asked to suggest…

Describes the relationship between learning opportunities and the negotiation of social norms in mathematics class discussions based on data from interviews and observation of a third-grade classroom. Includes several transcripts of observations. (31 references) (MKR)

Examined responses to rejection by four rejected junior high school boys in seventh and eighth grades through interviews and observations. Found high categorical stability for those who were rejected; most were unable to alter their status. Reported on one student who managed to change status through extraordinary responses, by negating the…